Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The next day, the sun was shining brightly. In front of the stone table in the courtyard, Su Xiao was discussing the next steps with Shi Tie and Wang Hu.

Sun Xiaolan and Li Tiezhu were taking stock of the spoils they had acquired – mainly spirit stones given by the City Lord's Mansion and the Zhao family, some common refining materials, and several bottles of good healing pills.

"Senior Sister Su, we've finally gained a foothold in Black Mountain City!"

Wang Hu's face was flushed with excitement as he fiddled with a low-grade spirit stone of decent quality in his hand. "These spirit stones that City Lord Zhao gave us will be enough for our sect to use for quite a while! And this VIP token from 'Hundred Herbs Pavilion' will also make purchasing medicinal herbs much cheaper in the future."

Shi Tie clicked his tongue, seemingly unsatisfied: "We've secured our position, but it's not quite enough. That tarantula looked intimidating, but it turned out to be so weak. I haven't even warmed up my muscles yet! And that Li family, they're utterly useless. They collapsed before we even got to their doorstep."

He was referring to the Li family's situation after their scheme was exposed. The key figure tried to escape but was intercepted by experts from the Zhao family. After a fierce battle, the family head, Li Maocai, was seriously injured and captured. The rest of his followers scattered like monkeys when the tree fell, and the large family disintegrated overnight.

Su Xiao took a sip of spiritual tea and shook her head slightly: "Senior Brother Shi, the Li family's destruction was their own fault, but it also shows how cruel the struggles in the cultivation world are. Our trip here is not for fighting and being strong. We have already made a name for ourselves; now we should consider how to turn that reputation into tangible benefits."

Her gaze swept over the resources on the table. "These spirit stones and pills are good, but they are ultimately external things. For the long-term development of the sect, what it needs more is... inheritance, skills, and a foundation that can produce continuously."

Wang Hu pondered, "Senior Sister Su means... something as fundamental as our sect's Body Tempering Pool or Scripture Pavilion?"

"Not bad." Su Xiao nodded. "Black Mountain City is famous for its obsidian mines and the trade of low-level pills and magical artifacts. Perhaps there are unique techniques here that we can learn from or acquire, or even... some incomplete inheritances."

Shi Tie scratched his head: "Inheritance? Skill? These things are hard to find. They're all tightly controlled by the major families. Who would be willing to pass them on easily?"

"Things that are obvious are naturally rare." A glint of wisdom flashed in Su Xiao's eyes. "But some things might be hidden in... unexpected places."

She paused, then lowered her voice, "For example... the Li family that just collapsed. They had dominated Black Mountain City for many years, and their accumulated wealth was certainly divided up by the Zhao and Wang families. But there might be something of value in some inconspicuous 'old papers' that even they themselves might not have valued."

Shi Tie and Wang Hu's eyes lit up! That's right! The Li family has fallen, their library and secret vaults must have been confiscated, but those miscellaneous, seemingly useless things might still be left in the ruins! The Zhao and Wang families are eating the meat, so it shouldn't be a problem for them to pick up some "bone scraps," right?

"Junior Sister Su, your brain is really sharp!" Shi Tie slapped his thigh. "How come I didn't think of that! Let's go! Let's go take a look around the Li family ruins! Maybe we can find some treasure!"

Su Xiao waved his hand: "No rush. Although the Li family has fallen, the ruins are now jointly managed by the City Lord's Mansion and the Zhao family. If we go there rashly, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. We need a suitable excuse."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Sun Xiaolan ran to open it and saw Steward Liu from the City Lord's Mansion standing outside with a big smile on his face, followed by two servants carrying gift boxes.

"Greetings, Fairy Su, Fellow Daoist Shi, and all fellow Daoists!"

Deacon Liu bowed respectfully. "The City Lord, deeply grateful for your assistance, has specially instructed me to send some more small gifts as a token of his appreciation. Furthermore… the City Lord asked me to inquire about your plans for the future. If there is anything the City Lord's manor can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask!"

Su Xiao's heart skipped a beat; it was like a godsend. She rose to return the greeting and smiled, "Steward Liu, you're too kind. Our main purpose in coming here was to train the disciples and broaden our horizons. Now that the matter in Black Mountain City is settled, we were just thinking of traveling around and seeing what's happening."

"We've heard that the Li family's former residence was quite large. We're rather curious about the layout of such a prestigious family's mansion. Would it be possible for us to go and take a look, to... gain some insight?"

Upon hearing this, Deacon Liu was taken aback at first, then suddenly understood. In his view, these disciples of the Qingyun Sect must have never seen much of the world and wanted to take the opportunity to visit the ruins of a wealthy family's mansion to broaden their horizons. This request was reasonable, even somewhat... unsophisticated.

His smile widened, and he quickly said, "That's easy! The Li family's properties have been seized, and the ruins of the main residence are temporarily under the city lord's care. There's nothing particularly secretive about them. If you fellow Daoists are interested, you're welcome to go anytime! I can send a constable to guide you!"

"In that case, I'll have to trouble you, Steward Liu," Su Xiao replied with a smile.

After seeing Deacon Liu off, Shi Tie couldn't wait to get started: "Haha! It's done! Junior Sister Su, you're amazing! You got it done in just a few words!"

Su Xiao remained calm: "Remember, we're just going to 'visit' and satisfy our curiosity. Whatever you see or hear, don't show any excessive interest. Especially... if you discover anything related to cultivation or skills, remain indifferent, understand?"

"Got it! We're just going to explore the ruins!" Shi Tie said with a knowing grin. Wang Hu, Sun Xiaolan, and Li Tiezhu also nodded in agreement.

In the afternoon, led by an old yamen runner from the city lord's mansion, the five arrived at the ruins of the Li family in the west of the city.

The once magnificent mansion with its carved beams and painted rafters is now a ruin, with charred wood and broken tiles everywhere. The air is filled with the smell of burnt wood and a faint stench of blood, a testament to the brutal cleanup that took place not long ago.

Some yamen runners were rummaging through the ruins, sorting out valuables. When they saw Su Xiao and the others, they just glanced at them curiously and did not stop them.

"Esteemed immortals, this way please." The old yamen runner, clearly having received instructions, was very polite. "This front courtyard was for entertaining guests; there's nothing to see here, it's all burned down. The storerooms and secret rooms were emptied long ago."

"But that place in the back... that library, or rather, the courtyard where miscellaneous books are stored, is still relatively intact, just a bit dusty. It's full of miscellaneous books, travelogues, account books, and the like that collected by the Li family ancestors. They're not very useful, and we haven't had time to clean them yet."

A courtyard piled with miscellaneous books? Su Xiao's heart stirred slightly, but she remained outwardly calm: "It's alright, we can just take a look."

Passing through several dilapidated moon gates, we arrived at a relatively secluded courtyard. In the courtyard stood a two-story building, which was fairly well preserved, although the doors and windows were crooked and covered with dust and cobwebs.

Pushing open the door, a musty, stale smell hit me. Inside, bookshelves were overturned, and various thread-bound books, bamboo slips, and animal skin scrolls were scattered all over the floor, covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly indicating that no one had been there for a long time.

"Please take your time, immortal masters. I'll wait outside." The old yamen runner clearly had no interest in the place, so he excused himself and left.

Shi Tie covered his nose and said in a muffled voice, "Cough cough... What kind of treasure could there be in this place? It's all dust!"

Wang Hu and Li Tiezhu also frowned and began aimlessly kicking at the scrolls on the ground.